Off Duty

by awf

Chapter 27

"I told people you were ill," Rawsthorne said as they rode the elevator up to his office. Celestia nodded with a grateful little smile. She had worried how the humans would look at her after learning that she had been in heat. It all stemmed from her research on the Internet. Heat was something which happened to animals. Humans didn't experience urges, at least not that strong.

It seemed the human cycle happened once per month. It would make sense that it was be weaker, otherwise they would never get anything done! She guessed it all evened out in the end, but the key part was that humans didn't go into heat, not really. The mare had been a little worried what her coworkers would think when they found out just how bad it had been.

Now she didn't have to be! An illness was the perfect excuse. Besides, Celestia mused, human women sometimes took a sick day if the symptoms of their 'aunt Flo' were especially bad. Of course she was perfectly within her rights to do the same once a year!

There was a ding as the elevator door slid open. Celestia spotted something new and quickly walked to the reception desk to inspect it. The receptionist now had a vase of flowers on her desk. It was a very welcome touch of color in the otherwise drab office.

"The daisies are lovely, Wendy!"

The woman beamed and stood up, so she could go around the counter and give the alicorn a hug. "Oh, it's good to see you're better, Celly! I hope it wasn't something you ate here!"

The mare scrunched up her muzzle in confusion. "Ate? What did..."

The woman leaned closer and whispered: "It was probably one of those weird places Denis took you, right? I always knew you couldn't trust sushi!"

The mare looked at her owner in bewilderment. She mouthed a question. 'What?'

"Oh, it was quite a bad stomach bug, yeah," Rawsthorne explained, "but the restaurants aren't to blame, Wendy. Maybe it was the hedge."

Celestia gasped in shock. The hedge?! Surely Rawsthorne hadn't gone around telling Wendy about the time she had nibbled on the shrubbery?! She wondered what else he had told their coworkers. She needed a small revenge. The pony thought quickly.

"Maybe it was your cooking, Rawsthorne!"

He simply shook his head. "No, I don't think so," he replied smoothly. The smug jerk had prepared for this, Celestia realized! The way he seemed deep in thought gave him all the credibility in Wendy's eyes.

"Sandwiches don't usually cause that. It was awful!" If he weren't talking about her, the alicorn would have applauded the performance. The shocked expression, the wide eyes. Unless...

She barely stifled a gasp. He wasn't acting! It was a real memory and she knew exactly which one! He glanced from the woman to the mare and gave her a mischievous grin. Celestia tried to swat him with a wing, but he skillfully dodged and went right on:

"Yeah, right there in her room, too!" he told Wendy, who was staring in fascinated horror. "Everywhere it went - gushing and-"

He fell silent when Celestia kicked his leg in exasperation. She was quite red in the face, but it was more anger than embarrassment. "You will pay for this!"

She had kept it under her breath, but Wendy heard and quickly matched her glare. "Really, Rawsthorne?" the receptionist said crossly and folded her arms. "Show some tact! The poor thing is still queasy, for Christ's sake!"

The man just laughed pleasantly, tousled her mane a little and turned to leave. "You know what you're doing today right? I'll be in my office if you need me."

The mare stuck her tongue out after the human. She quickly tried to mend the impression on the receptionist: "Look, Wendy - I didn't eat the..."

She sighed and corrected it to the truth. "Okay, I did eat the hedge... a little. But that was weeks ago and I certainly never gushed from anywhere, whatever Gregory told you! I cleaned up after myself in any case!"

The woman gave her another hug. "Aww, no need to be embarrassed, Celly. It happens to all of us. I'm just glad you're better."

Celestia returned the hug with her wings and sighed. "Thank you."

She looked down the hallway. Now the alicorn was afraid what her owner had told Denis. The receptionist was very kind and Celestia got along perfectly well with the other coworkers, but that man was a jerk at the best of times!

"Denis in yet?"

The woman nodded. She went back to her chair, but called after the pony: "Oh, don't forget these. They are for you!" She was holding up the vase.

Celestia went back to smell them. They really did help. The pony was glad that the custom of bringing flowers to ill friends was the same on both worlds.

She took an exploratory nibble. "Mm, delicious. Thank you!"

The woman stared at her for a moment, then burst out giggling.

"What?!"

She took another bite as the woman began laughing. "They were meant as decoration, not food. Though I guess you like them better as a snack?"

Celestia froze mid-chew, then looked at the pretty vase with a bite taken out of the bouquet and then back at the woman, who was nearly falling over.

"Wait! Hold that pose!" the receptionist commanded. Celestia obeyed while the woman brought up her phone and snapped a picture. "There. My niece will love that!" She turned the screen around to show the mare. It was a good one, if a little silly. The vase with the missing chunk was prominent in the picture, as was Celestia with a befuddled expression. There was also a flower sticking out of her mouth. It reminded her and the mare began chewing again.

"Cute," Wendy said and reached over to give her a pat.

After a moment, Celestia also laughed. It was a good picture. It showed a side of her she had had to keep sternly under wraps in Equestria. She poked her tongue out at the woman, after which they both ended up laughing.

Finally, there was no more putting it off. She lifted up the vase and sighed. "Here we go."

At least now she had a snack and if Denis commented upon it, she would kick him. Celestia made her way down the hall. A few of the people in the offices shouted out greetings and the mare gave a wave or a smile here and there. Before long, she was at the door. The wall was glass, so she didn't even have a moment to pause and gather her wits. She entered and firmly put the vase on her desk.

"Morning."

The human was at his desk, apparently engrossed with his computer. Email, undoubtedly. "Morning, Celestia," came the casual reply. The mare felt her ears turn in shock. Had she heard right?

It sounded almost like a normal greeting!

"Feeling better?"

She slowly turned to face Denis and dared to hope he had somehow changed for the better in the past few weeks. "Yes. Thank you. But I have some catching up to do."

He glanced away from his screen to give her a nod. "Good. Let me know if you need anything."

And that was it. She had expected at least a pun, if not a jab at her illness, and maybe another indecent offer. Maybe the thought of her being ill had turned him off. It was to be hoped. In either case, Celestia went to her desk and leafed through her notes. They were still exactly where she had left them. The books were open to the same pages she had been reading last week. Denis apparently hadn't touched her desk at all. She was glad of the unexpected respite. It was probably just temporary - the human always became very professional when he was concentrating on his work.

Denis spoke up before she could get far: "Oh, I'll move your help on the robbery case up a little."

"Yes?"

The human nodded and went back to the screen. "Yeah, and I'll make sure you get a computer. You know how to use e-mail, right?"

"Yes." Well, it wasn't entirely true. She was aware of the principle. It was mostly like Skype, except you sent longer messages and slower. She could work it out and if not, Glitter Dust would probably know.

"Good. I'll make sure you're in the c.c., so I don't have to print out everything and type up your replies."

She didn't quite like the sound of that, even if she didn't understand what 'c.c.' meant. "Uh, Gregory said I'd just assist with research."

The human stood up and came to her. She couldn't help thinking how impressively tall he was as he loomed over her desk. "I want you in a bit more active role. We probably can't get you into court hearings, but you will be meeting with the DA and you'll help the expert witness," he explained.

Celestia didn't really like how that sounded. Her role was getting more and more complex for what was supposed to be a simple punishment! She didn't want more exposure and certainly not with anything like the human legal system. It would greatly complicate matters, and she might be caught!

"Surely there's little I can help with-"

The human didn't even wait for her to finish. "Actually, this case has you written all over it. I think you'll like it."

She gulped at the dangerous gleam in his eye. It was as if the man was looking forward to seeing her reaction. Which meant there was a reaction to see!

"Uh, what is the case about?"

"Robbery," Denis said, but she already knew that. She was about to demand more, but he went on just before she spoke up: "They were stealing ponies."

Her vision swam and the mare held her breath until the room settled again. "What?!"

Denis seemed pleased with the reaction. "Yeah. Breaking into auctions, mostly. Then they took them south and across the border. Probably sold as exotic pets who knows where. There's enough people willing to pay a pretty penny for one of you and the source has dried up, you see?"

He straightened up and went to look across the hall at Rawsthorne. "It's a lucrative market right now."

"But surely the new slavery laws-"

The human barked a short laugh, which interrupted her. "- apply only in the United States and Europe. Some parts of the world aren't as... 'enlightened'."

She had tried! So hard had the Princess worked to get these laws enacted among humans, and now she was learning they only applied on a part of the world.

"Where?!" She stood up and advanced on the human. Almost without conscious control she had fluffed out her wings and spread them a little. It was an ancient gesture a pegasus would use to make herself look bigger to predators.

"Tell me exactly where the laws apply and where they do not!"

The human studied her expression for a moment. "I'll show you how to look for it when you get your computer. I don't know - it's a part of what you'll have to research."

She had to be absolutely sure. "We are helping to convict these people?"

In a rare gesture of kindness, Denis put a hand on her withers. His face went soft, but only for a moment. "Yeah. We're helping the prosecution on this case. If we win, the robbers will get a sentence and we'll set a precedent for future cases."

The alicorn was filled with righteous anger. Now she was sorry that she wouldn't speak before the judge! "Good. I will make sure we win. And it's 'foal-napping', not 'robbery'. You're talking about ponies!"

The human shrugged a little, but left his hand on her. As shocked as she was to discover this, the touch was a comfort. "Maybe. But right now they're treating it as theft. You'll like the DA. She is trying to change it into kidnapping and human trafficking. That would be a prison sentence."

If the woman was fighting for that, Celestia already loved her, but before she did anything more, the mare had a few choice words for Rawsthorne. She pushed Denis away with a wing. "Give me a second."

She stomped out of his office and into her owner's. The human looked up, right into her glare, and visibly flinched. "What? What did he do this time?"

"You!" The mare lowered her voice a little so she wouldn't shout. "You knew this 'robbery' case was about ponies! Why did you not tell me?!"

Rawsthorne stood up and came closer. He wanted to put his hands on her withers, but the mare stepped away. No cuddly pony until she got a good answer!

"Well?!"

"I didn't think you worrying and fretting about it would do you any good. Especially not during your h- illness."

She snorted in annoyance. "It was not for you to decide what I fret about, Rawsthorne!"

He wouldn't be dissuaded. "Well, I made a judgement call. I would have told you before the case started, so you could prepare yourself for dealing with it. Seems Denis beat me to it?"

"It got moved up. I start on it tomorrow. Today!" Maybe the human was right and, the mare thought guiltily, as her Master, he certainly did have the right to keep things from her. It didn't help much. She sat down on her haunches and sighed. Her ears lowered in her sadness.

"It caught me unprepared. I really believed the laws they passed about ponies were making a difference."

Now she finally allowed the human to pet her. "They are, Celestia. The laws help, but there will always be crime. That's why we're here, right?"

He was right. What she did on this case would help ponies in general and she would learn more - the Princess would be able to make much better demands to her sneaky, lying human ambassadors when she was back! Besides, maybe Rawsthorne had really done her a kindness not to spring this on her right during her heat, but she was still mad about the lies he told Wendy.

"You are not off the halter, Rawsthorne. You owe me!"

He smiled at her and gently grabbed her ears between his fingers. He pulled them upright. "Come on. Perk up, there's a good girl."

She rolled her eyes, but couldn't help being amused by his antics. "Not good enough," she said with a faint little smile. The human let her go.

"Okay, what will I have to do?"

She thought quickly. "Bath. With me. I'll see you enjoy a bath and a massage and a hooficure! Or foot-icure, whatever you call it!"

Yes, there was the red in his face. He deserved it, too. Going around telling people she couldn't handle a bit of honeysuckle! Not to mention the- the gushing fluids thing!

"Why?" he asked plaintively. She held his gaze.

"Keeping something like this from me and the stuff you've been telling Wendy. Think of it as revenge!"

He didn't argue. Bath-cuddles with the human would help calm her down after learning these horrible news. There was still work to do, though. The mare glanced across the hallway, where Denis was looking at them with an insolent grin. When he saw her looking, he gave her a thumbs up. It was obvious now. He wanted to rile her up, so she would go pester Rawsthorne and then he would see how they reacted.

She knew he hadn't really changed!

At long last the day was over. Celestia could hardly contain herself through dinner and washing up, but even that passed and it was finally time.

"Come on!" She nudged Rawsthorne with her muzzle. The lazy lout was already sprawled on the couch. He had obviously forgotten their agreement and wandered off while she was cleaning the dishes.

"Bath. Now."

Yes, he really had! His eyebrows rose and the human leaned away from her. "Now?"

"Now."

"You are really going through with this then?" her owner asked plaintively. Had he seriously imagined she would let him off the hook? After embarrassing her before Wendy and keeping something as big as a foal-napping case from her?!

"Yes, Greg. We are going through with this! I will start the bath. Be there in ten minutes, or I will drag you there with my magic!" It wouldn't do to leave the human worried and uneasy, though. The alicorn nuzzled her owner again. "It is nothing bad, you know? Earth ponies and pegasi often bathe together, so they can help each other reach places they can't themselves, and despite the magic, unicorns like to do that, too."

"Is that so?" Rawsthorne asked. He still didn't sound too certain.

"Indeed! I told you that night Glitter was here: we are very social creatures, especially among family and close friends and you are almost both of those to me!"

That was about all she could do in that short a time. One way or another, the human would be getting over his inhibitions about baths. She chose to call it a 'punishment' for all the little jokes and tricks he had played on her. The truth made her blush too hard.

Why this particular punishment? The question hadn't arisen until now. Celestia had spent the day distracted by reading everything she could find about courts and trials. There was much of it, but Denis had been helpful and pointed out good starting material. She actually felt a little bit grateful toward the man. She might overlook one inappropriate gesture or offer in return. However, that work was over and she would continue the next day. Hopefully her computer would arrive, so she could begin researching the actual case. Her impromptu colleague had said there were a number of news articles she should read for a start. She could begin on her iPad, but the mare needed to relax for a while, first.

Why bath with Rawsthorne, though? It didn't sound relaxing. Knowing him, the affair would be awkward and very embarrassing. For both of them. The man could hardly stay in the same room while she was in the bath alone. Now she would make him remove his clothes and get in the water with her. The mare entered the big bathroom and caught a glimpse of her glowing red face in the mirror.

She would have to manage the situation very carefully. For a start, maybe she would allow him to keep some clothes. She opened the water tap, checked that it was hot enough, then sat on her haunches beside the tub to think.

It had seemed wonderful in her imagination. Yes it would be a little awkward at the start, but the warmth would relax them both. She would get Rawsthorne to scrub her back, then she would return the favour. They'd talk about...

The mare skipped that thought and saved it for later. She'd come up with something, surely. Anyway, the two would probably end up leaning against each other, possibly with her wing around the human, or his arm on her withers or barrel. She would put her head on his shoulder - minding the horn, of course. Then they would be silent for a moment and Rawsthorne would be a bit more comfortable with her presence.

If it went really well, maybe she could hint for them to keep the cuddles going. Perhaps... share the bed again?

The water level was rising nicely and Celestia woke up from her idle daydream just for long enough to pour bubble bath in the tub. Now that she had gotten used to it, the liquid didn't smell too bad and she knew the human liked the scent.

She cast a very short, simple spell to agitate the water. In moments there was a thick cover of bubbles and foam. Perfect to conceal everything below. It would help the human's embarrassment. Maybe - the mare sighed at the new idea which popped into her head - once they were naked and in the water, Rawsthorne would let his hands explore further.

He had seemed interested in her wings before, but now they would be alone, so she could let him. Perhaps it didn't need to stop with wings. The mare shuddered as she imagined those fingers sliding down her back and tracing out the shape of her cutie mark. Maybe even further?

"Oh, my."

Celestia decided it was time to get in the water. She didn't want those kinds of thoughts to continue and the water would help take her mind off them. With her inside the tub, the level rose. She judged it would be enough once Rawsthorne joined her, so the mare shut it off. Then she lowered herself further down. It was deliciously hot!

"Mmmmmmm."

She hoped the human would hurry up and come while she still had some of her mind to work with. The heat was starting to melt it around the edges. The mare flopped on her back and let her wings soak a little. Pure bliss! She let her head hang over the edge and closed her eyes so she could focus better on the warmth.

She hardly noticed when her owner came in. It was perfect, in fact! If she was relaxed, it would undoubtedly rub off on him!

"You look like you're having fun. Why don't you just enjoy yourself and then we'll watch a movie together?"

Nice try! Celestia felt her mouth twitch up into a smile. She didn't open her eyes. "In the water, Greg."

The human sighed. There was a rustle as he removed his clothes. The mare peeked through one eye. There wasn't too much to see. Of course Rawsthorne kept his under-pants on him without even asking, but she let it slide. The rest of him, she had seen from time to time. At least in parts. Pink, slightly hairy and quite soft. Not as muscular as she had seen on the Internet that time she-

The mare blushed with guilt and firmly thought: '-did some research on humans!'. She also squeezed her eyes more tightly shut in concentration.

She shifted aside to give her owner room. There was a pause and she imagined him opening his mouth to beg for mercy again.

There was none to be had. "Quiet. In the water, now!"

He sighed and Celestia imagined him shaking his head in bemusement, but he obeyed and she felt the warmth rise to a perfect height. The mare slowly rolled over until her wing was across the human. He was way too stiff, despite her explanation earlier. She saw his hand going white where it was gripping the edge of the tub.

"Relax. Nothing sexual, okay? Just a bath with two friends. Warm and soothing." She leaned her head on his shoulder and heaved a luxurious sigh. "Let me teach you, Greg. Here, give me your arm."

He allowed her to lead the limb down and around her barrel. It meant her hind hooves slid between his legs, but the mare didn't mind.

"Good, now let go of the tub. It's not that deep, you won't drown, trust me." She laughed gently at his expression.

"This is very inappropriate, you know?"

The pony saw his defenses were crumbling under the onslaught of hot water and soft pony fur. Almost there, she thought. "Maybe for humans. Not for ponies, remember? It is nice. Here, your other arm."

She hooked with a wing and lifted it from the edge, then left it gripping the appendage as she laid the feathers across his belly. She shifted a little lower, to bring more of her barrel below the water line. The fact that it left her head on his chest was a happy accident.

"See? Nothing wrong with a bit of comfort, Greg."

He didn't answer, but the alicorn was pleased to feel him relax a little. The human probably didn't realize this, but her ear was right over his heart. Right now it was going a little too fast, but Celestia knew that it would slow when he got used to the situation and she would know exactly how much he relaxed, and when. In fact, she thought he was already calming down!

It was time for some pillow-talk. "I am not angry about the case anymore, Gregory. I understand why you haven't told me. I am still a bit miffed about Wendy, but luckily she believed my side of the story and we had a laugh about it."

The arm on her wing jerked a little, but didn't go away. The other hand, flat against her back also tightened. "Maybe it was a little mean, but we're even after this, right?" he asked. It was nice of him to somewhat concede the absolutely foul way he had treated her.

"Yes, we are even, Greg, but please do not think of this as punishment, okay? Just two... persons, enjoying a comfort together. It doesn't have to be weird."

That last bit was mainly for her own sake. The mare was feeling decidedly 'warm' and it wasn't all from the water. She shifted her legs and her knee bumped a very unfortunate place. It made the human jump a little and the pony withdrew hurriedly.

It seemed her owner wasn't made of stone, after all. Well, a part of him was. Or so it had felt! Celestia firmly staunched that line of thought. Comfortable and relaxing! Remember the goal! Don't rush it. That comes later.

It was time to distract them both. "Greg?"

"Hmm?" It had sounded more like a squeak than a word. It almost made her giggle.

"Would you be so kind and wash my mane? I wish to see how that feels with fingers, rather than magic or hooves."

She pulled away and the human sat up. The relief on his face was palpable. "Yeah, I can try."

She turned around and levitated her bottle of passion fruit shampoo into the air so Rawsthorne could grab it. She scooched closer until her rump was resting against his legs and closed her eyes. The human wasn't normally averse to petting her and maybe that helped. He squirted a bit of the goop on his hands and put them in her mane.

It was even better! Maybe it was the hot water, or the fact that they were both in the bath, but the fingers massaging her scalp were amazing.

"Mmmm- ooooh!" Unconsciously the mare leaned further back, until she nearly fell into Rawsthorne's lap.

"Don't move," he commanded and pushed her upright again. That was right, Celestia remembered. He needed room to work. She made herself sit up. The reward was worth it! Such unfamiliar sensation! The palms on her head and neck, with the fingers so expertly wriggling around to spread the foam everywhere, and not a drop slid down into her eyes! Such skill! Artistry! Bliss! How did the human have such control over so many appendages all at once?!

The thought fleeted across her brain, then faded. The mare was practically melting under the onslaught. "Ahhhhh." She flicked an ear back when she thought she heard a faint chuckle, but that just caused the human to remember and a soapy hand wrapped itself around it in a gentle massage.

It drew a small, delighted squeak from the pony. And another, when Rawsthorne did the same to her other ear. A few minutes and the pony would be gone. Whatever was left would do anything the human commanded. Celestia desperately fought not to say that out loud! If Rawsthorne realized what dreadful power he had over her, he would undoubtedly abuse it! Yet, at the same time, she never wanted the massage to end.

Too soon that part was over and Rawsthorne moved his hands lower. It was nearly as pleasant on her neck, but Celestia couldn't hold back a small sigh of both disappointment and relief. She had made it through without losing herself!

The rest of her mane was soaped up in a few minutes and the hands came to lie idly on her shoulders. This part had been markedly less intense, so the mare was still herself at the end.

"Thank you so much, Rawsthorne!" She turned around so he could see the smile and - Celestia felt her heart skip for a moment - the human was grinning too!

She pointed an accusing hoof. "You liked doing that!" The blush couldn't lie! Rawsthorne tried to out-stare her, but Celestia persisted. A moment later they both burst out laughing.

"Okay, maybe this isn't as dreadful as I first imagined," the man admitted. It was very big of him, the mare thought. She leaned against the back of the tub and steadied herself with her hind hooves on his chest. He didn't seem to mind in the slightest.

"I told you. This is not a punishment, Rawsthorne."

"Oh?!" he said and pointed a finger right at her. "What was all that about 'revenge', then?"

"Could I have gotten you to do this without that? Would you have agreed if I just asked?"

He thought it over. For a moment the alicorn was sure he would lie. But then the man shrugged. "Probably not."

"There."

Rawsthorne didn't answer, so the mare took it as a victory. She kept her smile.
"Lean back and let's enjoy this a few more minutes while the water is warm. Oh, I'll just-"

She crouched down and dipped her head under to rinse out her mane. She knew how it must have looked: the hair spreading on the water like a rainbow. The pony hoped Rawsthorne was impressed. It was important that he found her lovely! Maybe she needed it to offset the ugly he had seen during her heat?

Or perhaps, like all fillies, Celestia simply liked to be adored. That was a part of her life she missed slightly since she had come to Earth. Rawsthorne' admiration nearly made up for it, though. When she surfaced, the mane hung over her face. But before she could magic it out of her eyes, the human did it for her.

Such useful things, fingers!

"Thank you." She only had to prod once with a hoof to make him lean back, then she took her place against his chest again. The alicorn was pleased to hear that his heart wasn't rattling as quickly anymore. Maybe, she dared hope, he would agree to a bath without threats, someday! She closed her eyes and tried to make the moment last as long as she could. It wouldn't be very long before the water was lukewarm and it was time to get out, but their evening wouldn't be over yet.

"After we're done, you're getting a massage." His breath caught for a moment and Celestia giggled a little. "You've shown me how good you are with hands, now you'll let me show you what hooves can do, okay?"

"Do I get a choice?"

She thought it over. "No, not really."

She was already hatching a plan! A massage would need a large, comfortable, flat surface, right? What better than his bed? If she was careful and made it extra relaxing, Rawsthorne would be liable to simply fall right asleep! She would cover him with the blanket and curl up beside him and by the time he woke up in the morning, it would be too late!

The human was a 'sleep-cuddler', she knew! All she had to do was stay beside him as he slept and she would get her comfy human pillow! It couldn't fail to work!

Comments

[ToobertSawk]

I forgot what Wendy looked like, but I've always thought of her as a Sassy Black woman who don't need no man

[Not So Anonymous Pony]

10201832
Ditto; I only remember she had red hair because Celestia complemented it when they first met.

[PonyDragon]

"What?!"
She took another bite as the woman began laughing. "They were meant as decoration, not food. Though I guess you like them better as a snack?"

: "Maybe... both?"

She turned the screen around to show the mare. It was a good one, if a little silly. The vase with the missing chunk was prominent in the picture, as was Celestia with a befuddled expression. There was also a flower sticking out of her mouth.

Reminds me of the cover art.

[awf]

10492832
That scene was the inspiration for a friend to draw it, and I decided to use it as the cover art, actually.

[PonyDragon]

10493335

[Marmo]

The story and relationship between Greg and Celestia becomes more and more beautiful.

Its lovely to see how Greg slowly but steadily sees her less than a servant but more like an equal and maybe even soon lover.

Also its lovely to see how he tries to evade cuddles and baths with her because of the power differences. But In this chapter it was basically Celestia commanding him around. Like that the power difference kinda switches and Greg could mentally accept having a bath with her. Deep down he wants to be with her

[Ali della Morte]

From what I've read so far, it's a beautiful story. A pity it hasn't gotten more attention